Phosphate-distributer.



NQ. 727,957 X PATENTED MAY l2, 1903. E. W. JOHNSON.

PHOSPHATE DISTRIBUTER.

APPLIUATION FILED 00T..1s, 1902. l

No MODEL. z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 727,957. l PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

EhW. JOHNSON.

PHOSPHATE` DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED oo'1.13, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WHIJQSSQS Patented May 12, 1903.

FFICE.

ELMo w. JOHNSON-,on FREEHOLD, NEw JERSEY.

PHOSPHATE-DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,957, dated May 12, 1903. Application filed October 13, 1902.' Serial-No. 127,147. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern: Be it known that I, ELMo W. JOHNSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Free-` hold, vin. the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usev the fol.-Y

ful Phosphate-Distributer, of which lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to phosphate-disalso forced or fed in a downward direction until it is engaged by the arms of the distributing-wheel whereby it is carried to the point of discharge.

With these and other ends in view my invention consists in the improved construction', arrangement, and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. l. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 5 5 in-Fig.l .1. view,`on a reduced scale, ofthe bottom plate lof the device4 detached. l v

Corresponding parts in the several views are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

1 designates a cylindrical casing, which is preferably made of cast-iron land whichv is provided near its upper inner edge with a shoulder 2, adapted to support a hopper 3, which has been shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4 of the ldrawings and which may be made of sheet metal coniform in shape, it being provided at its lower edge with a vertical ange adapted to rest upon the shoulder 2. The casing 1 is provided at opposite sides Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig..

Fig. 6 is a -detail thereofwith brackets 4 and 5, having downwardly-extending supporting-webs 6 7, thereby forming supports by -means of which the device may be mounted upon a suitably-constructed machine-frame. The webs 6 of the .bracket 4 support a boxing 8, in which is journaled a shaft 9, having at its outer end a sprocket-wheel 10 to enable it to receive'motion by means of a chain from the source of power, which will include a sprocket-wheel, usually driven by the traction-wheels (not shown) of the machine to which my invention Vis applied. A collar 11 upon the-shaft 9 serves to secure the latter'at its proper adjustment.

The lower inner edge of the cylindrical casing lis provided with an annular recess form` inga shoulder 12, which engages the bottom plate .13, which is neatly Iitted in the recess forming the said shoulder. Said bottom plate is provided with outwardly extending lugs 14, having perforations 15, alining with simi- Y lar perforations 16 in correspondingly-disposed lugs 17, projecting from the lower edge of the casing 1.

18 represents a spider composed of a hub 19, having radiating arms 20, the position of which coincides with that of the lugs 14 and 17, and which are likewise perforated for the passage of bolts 2l, whereby the said casing, bottom, and spider are thus securely connected together.

22 designates a crown-gear, which is supportedpagainst the under sideof the bottom plate'13 by means of the hub portion 19 of the spider, whichis provided with a centralperforation 23, forming a bearing for the central collar or hub portion 24 of the crowngear.V The latter meshes with a pinion 25 upon the shaft 9, the inner end of which is journaled in a bracket 26, depending from the spider 18. The crown-gear 22, which is thus .supported,has an u pwardly-extending spindle portion 27, upon which is mounted a hub 28, the lower end of which extends through the bottom plate 13,"it being provided with an annular recess forming a shoulder 29,V which engages and rests upon said bottom plate. The hub 28 may be secured in any appropriate manner to the hub or spindle portion 27 of the crown-gear 22, so as to cause it to revolve therewith, as will be readily under- IOO stood. Suitably connected to the spindle 27, which may be squared, as shown, is the feedwheel 3l, which consists of an annular body 32, provided with radially-extending fingers or sweeps 33, the under sides of which are beveled from the upper front edges(relatively to the direction of rotation) in a downward and rearward direction, so that the said tingers or sweeps will engage the mass of phosphate lying above and to contribute to the movement of the same in a downward direction. The outer edges of the fingers or sweeps 33 are cut off substantially square, so as to lie in direct contact with the inner wall of the cylindrical casing l,thns affording absolutely no support upon which the phosphate might hang or clog. The said radial fingers are preferably curved, as will be seen in Fig. l of the drawings, in the direction of their length, the front side of each finger being thus somewhat concaved in relation to the horizontal plane thereof.

Suitably supported within the casing l is a horizontally-disposed partition 34, which may occupy between one-fourth and one-third of the circumference of the casing and which is elevated a distance above the bottom thereof exactly corresponding with or very slightly exceeding the height of the lingers 33, which may freely pass under the said partit-ion, sweeping in front of them the contents of the hopper, the said partition 34 serving as a cutoff plate. Below the said plate or partition the bottom of the hopper is provided with a slot or opening 35, of proportionately large dimensions, for the escape of the phosphate swept over said opening bythe fingers 33. The size of the opening is regulated by means of a slide 36, pivotally connected with a lug 37, appropriately located upon the casing 1. The slide 36 is provided with a lug 3S, having a perforation to receive one end of a connecting-rod 39, which extends 'to some convenient point within the reach of the operator of the machine, who by manipulating said rod may regulate the size of the feed-opening 35, thereby regulating the quantity of material which shall be permitted to escape from the hopper. I desire at this point to state that it is my intention to make the feed-opening of sufficient size to enable the machine to distribute as much as thirty-five hundred pounds of phosphate to the acre at a single operation, while by properly adjusting the feed -slide the distributing capacity of the machine may be reduced as low as one hundred pounds to the acre. It will also be understood that the distributing capacity of the machine may to some extent be caused to depend upon the speed at which the feed-wheel is operated, and hence upon the relative sizes of the gearwheels employed to transmit motion to the said feed-wheel.

The hub 28 is provided with one or more radially-extending arms 40, adapted to engage the upper side of the cut-off plate 34, so as to absolutely prevent the contents of the hopper from lodging thereon. Said hub 28 is furthermore provided with an upwardly-extending shaft 41, carrying a plurality of radially-extending arms 42, which, like the fingers or sweeps of the feed-wheel, are beveled upon their under sides, so as to contribute to the forcing of the contents of the hopper in a downward direction within the frame and into the cylindrical casing 1, which may be said to constitute the discharge-chamber of the hopper. The hub 28 is provided with an outwardly-extending annular ange 43, which rides over the partition 34, so as to form a joint of sufficient tightness to prevent the contents of the hopper from entering between and interfering with the operation of the working parts of the device.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. The rotation of the feed-wheel serves to force the contents of the hopper' under the partition or cut-off plate 34 and to discharge it through the feed-opening, as will be readily understood. The quantity of the feed may be easily regulated in the manner described.

The general construction of the device is simple and compact and of such a nature that it will not be liable to get out of order.

I have in the foregoing described a preferred construction of my invention; but I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself as to the details of the same, but reserve the right to any changes and modifications which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention or detracting from the utility of the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiml. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylindrical casing having an annular recess at its lower inner edge, the bottom plate seated in said recess, means to support said bottom plate in position,a crowngear supported against the under side of said bottom plate, ahub within the casing having a portion extending through the bottomthereof and connected with the spindle portion of said crown-gear, a feed-Wheel mounted upon said hub, and operating mechanism.

2. In a'device of the class described, the cylindrical casing having outwardly-extending lugs and provided with an interior annular recess at its lower edge, a bottom plate seated in said recess and having outwardly-extending lugs, a spider comprising a hub portion, and arms radiating from the same, and means for connecting said arms with the lugs of the bottom plate and the casing.

3. In a device of the class described, a cylindrical casing having an -interior annular recess at the lower edge thereof and provided with outwardly-extendin g lugs,a bottom plate seated in said recess and having outwardlyextending lugs alining with those of the casn IOO IIO

ing', a spider comprising a hub portion and radially-extendin g arms,means connecting said arms with the lugs of the bottom plate and the casing, a crown-gear supported upon the i hub portion of the spider against the under side of the bottom plate, a hub within the casing connected with the spindle portion of said crown-gear, and a feed-wheel connected with said hub.

4. In a device of the class described, a cylindrical casing having a bottom plate provided with a discharge-opening, a hub within said casing carrying a feed-wheel provided with curved radiating arms beveled upon their under sides from their upper edges in a downward and rearward direction, the ends of said arms being cut off square to tit closely against the inner wall of the cylindrical casing and a cut-off plate disposed in the cylindrical casing above the discharge-opening.

5. In a device of the class described, a cylindrical casing having a bottom plate, a crown-gear supported against the under side of said bottom plate and having an axle portion extending through the same, a hub mounted upon said axle portion and carrying a feed-wheel, a horizontally-disposed cut-oft plate disposed above a discharge-opening in the bottom, arms radiating from said hub and engaging the upper side of the cut-o plate, a flange formed upon the hub and engaging the upper edge of said cut-0E plate, and a shaft rising from the hub and provided with radially extending agitators beveled upon ltheir under sides.

6. In a device of the class described a cy- `lindrical casing having outwardly-extending l brackets, Webs .extending downwardly from said brackets, a boxing mounted between the webs at one side of the casing, a shaft journaled in said boxing, means for receiving motion at the outer end of said shaft,fa pinion near the inner endof said shaft, a crown-gear supported against the under side of the bottom of the casingand meshing-with said pinion, a spider disposedbelow the casing and having a hub portion supporting said crowngear, a boxing depending from said spider and supporting the inner end of the operating-shaft, and distributing means disposed l 5o within the cylindrical casing, connected with the axle portion of the crown-gear and operated thereby.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylindrical casing having a dat bottom provided with a discharge-opening, of a hub revoluble within said casing, a feed-wheel mounted upon said hub and having curved arms beveled upon their under sides from their upper edges in a downward 6o and rearward direction, the ends of said arms being iitted closely against the cylindrical wall, a cut-0E plate disposed 4above the discharge-opening, a pivoted slide covering the latter, and means for manipulating said slide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed-my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ELMO W. JOHNSON.

l/Vitnesses:

JAMES S. WHITE, RICHARD T. FORMAN. 

